Peru's Judicial Branch will rise to the occasion in the Odebrecht case and respond to citizens' cry against impunity, Supreme Court newly-sworn-in Chair Duberli Rodriguez affirmed on Monday.
Rodriguez referred to bribes paid by Brazilian conglomerate Odebrecht in Peru as a "mega corruption case" which unfolded over the course of 15 years.
"The Judicial Branch will gear up and rise to the occasion," he pointed out.
As is known, Brazil's construction giant admitted to having paid bribes worth approximately US$29 million to government officials in Peru in order to secure public-works contracts.
In this sense, he said citizens demand that the Judiciary Branch be efficient in combating impunity and guaranteeing the actual guilty parties are punished.
Likewise, he ruled out any political or electoral bias when passing sentences.
"Political elections are won with votes […] but judicial processes are not, they are won with evidence. Sentences are not defined by polls," he explained.
"The entire population may be in favor of a sentence, but if evidence for the prosecution is not sufficient, the judge shall acquit [the accused]. Similarly, if the entire population is against a sentence but evidence is sufficient to support the charge, then there will be a sentence," he underlined.
Rodriguez also addressed measures to strengthen Peru's fight against corruption, such as increasing budgets to reinforce jurisdictional bodies in charge of corruption-related processes.
(END) CCR/DHT/MVB